US election 2016: Cruz and Kasich team up to take on Trump
25 April
US presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and John Kasich have joined forces in a last minute attempt to stop frontrunner Donald Trump from winning the Republican nomination.
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The surprise alliance involves Cruz suspending campaigning in the Oregon and New Mexico primaries to help his rival, while Kasich is giving Cruz a clear path in the state of Indiana.
Defending the deal, Cruz's campaign manager, Jeff Roe, said that having Trump at the top of the ticket in November would be "a sure disaster" for Republicans.
"Not only would Trump get blown out by [Hillary] Clinton or [Bernie] Sanders, but having him as our nominee would set the party back a generation," he added.
Trump currently has a near insurmountable lead in the delegate count, but his rivals hope to block him from winning the 1,237 needed to secure the nomination and force a contest at the Republican convention in July.
The Manhattan property tycoon, who has long criticised the nomination system, responded to the announcement in typical fashion on Twitter:
In a formal statement released afterwards, Trump described the alliance as "yet another example of everything that is wrong in Washington and our political system".
The deal is "an acknowledgment that neither man can overtake Trump in the race", says Politico, adding: "It may still be too late."
The New York Times describes the arrangement as a "striking departure" for Cruz, who has repeatedly dismissed calls from the party elite to divide states to defeat Trump.
"At this late stage, it is unclear how effective the effort might be at swaying voters," adds the newspaper.
Trump mocked for 7/11 gaffe ahead of New York primary
19 April
Donald Trump has been ridiculed online for mistakenly naming a popular convenience store chain in place of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Speaking at a rally in Buffalo ahead of today's primary in New York, the Republican frontrunner told the crowds: "It's very close to my heart because I was down there and I watched our police and our firemen down at 7/11, down at the World Trade Centre, right after it came down, and I saw the greatest people I've ever seen in action."
"Mr Trump did not seem to realise that he had invoked a chain of convenience stores, and the crowd did not seem to mind," reports the New York Times. "He continued speaking without hesitation, recalling the bravery he witnessed after the attacks."
The New York City-born businessman's latest gaffe comes ahead of a crucial vote in his home state. Currently holding a double-digit lead over rivals, he is headed for a "thumping victory", CNN predicts.
Trump is also ahead in the delegate count, with 744 compared to 545 delegates for Texas senator Ted Cruz and 144 for Ohio governor John Kasich.
While the billionaire remains popular among voters in upstate and rural regions, polling shows the majority of New York City residents are opposed to him.
"You can't represent New York City and claim you're a New Yorker if you're so against the diversity and the melting pot that is this country – New York City, especially," said student Lianna Remigao, whose parents are from the Dominican Republic.
Trump's nomination is still far from certain, the Daily Telegraph says. "Securing the Republican nomination requires 1,237 delegates – a total Mr Trump looks increasingly unlikely to hit, opening the door to a so-called contested Convention where the brash TV host could lose the nomination even if he wins the most delegates overall in the primaries," it reports.
Donald Trump backtracks on abortion comments
31 March
Donald Trump has been forced to reverse his stance on abortion after calling for women who end their pregnancies to be punished if the procedure is banned in the US.
The Republican presidential frontrunner has previously described himself as "very pro-choice" but has come under pressure from rivals to harden his stance.
Abortion has been legal in the US for more than 40 years, but conservatives have long advocated a ban on the procedure, expect in certain circumstances.
Speaking to MSNBC yesterday, Trump said he believed in punishment for abortion "as a principle", and that women would have to pay the penalty.
Asked what form that would take, Trump replied: "That I don't know."
His comments sparked a wave of criticism from anti-abortion activists and pro-choice campaigners alike. Most opponents of abortion argue that the blame should fall on the doctor, not the woman.
Jeanne Mancini, the president of the anti-abortion March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said Trump's comments were "completely out of touch" with their movement.
"Being pro-life means wanting what is best for the mother and the baby," she added.
The businessman's Republican rivals were also quick to seize on his comments. "Once again Donald Trump has demonstrated that he hasn't seriously thought through the issues and he'll say anything just to get attention," Ted Cruz said.
Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, described his comments as "horrific and telling", adding: "Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse."
Trump's campaign later released a statement, attempting to clarify the remarks. "The doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman'," it said. "The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb."
Some pundits hailed the fact that any public climbdown from Trump is a rare event.
Most, however, seemed unforgiving.
US election 2016: Donald Trump backs aide charged with assault
30 March
Donald Trump says he is standing by his campaign manager, who has been charged with "misdemeanour battery" for allegedly grabbing the arm of a reporter at a campaign rally earlier this month.
Corey Lewandowski at first denied touching journalist Michelle Fields, who was working for Breitbart News Network at the time, tweeting that she was "delusional" and that they had never met. However, CCTV footage released by police showed him grabbing her arm during the Florida meeting.
Speaking yesterday, Trump told Fox News he would stand by his aide. "I don't discard people," he said.
Told that Lewandowski allegedly bruised Fields's arm, he replied: "How do you know those bruises weren't there before? I'm not a lawyer, but she said she had a bruise on her arm.
"I mean, to me, to get squeezed, don't you think she would have yelled out and screamed? Take a look at her facial expression, her facial expression doesn't change.
"You say there are bruises on her arm? How did they get there? Who put them there?"
The businessman has also appealed to his assembled supporters to pass judgement on the incident, says The Guardian. "What do you think?" he asked at a meeting in Janesville, Wisconsin.
"She's a liar," shouted one woman, to applause, while another added: "I watched it on the widescreen and there was nothing."
"I can't destroy a man's life," Trump told his audience. "He's got a beautiful wife and children and I'm not going to destroy a man for that."
He also insisted that Fields had touched him before she was allegedly manhandled. He said that the reporter was holding something in her hand and, while it was probably a pen, he could not be sure what it was at the time.
Fields has resigned from Breitbart in protest at what she said was a lack of support after she went to police with her story. A number of her colleagues have also quit, while an editor there who cast doubt on her story now says he was wrong.
US election 2016: Republicans hunt for anti-Trump candidate
21 March
Donald Trump's bid to become the Republican presidential nominee looks unstoppable - but that prospect terrifies the Republican establishment, many of whom believe the businessman stands little chance of winning a presidential election.
Others, from across the political spectrum, say his nomination would represent a threat to US democracy itself.
So anti-Trump Republicans are now scrambling to mount a last-ditch push to stop him – although he has warned his supporters will riot if GOP leaders reject his nomination at the party's convention in July
In order to succeed, the "anyone but Trump" movement needs to prevent him from reaching the 1,237 delegates required to secure the Republican nomination on the first ballot. At the moment, "The Donald" has a delegate lead of around 250 over second-placed Ted Cruz.
But even with Marco Rubio's withdrawal from the campaign last week, anti-Trump Republicans have failed to unite behind either Cruz or John Kasich. So GOP grandees gathered last week to consider backing a new, independent candidate – someone representing Republican principles and offering an alternative to what the New York Times calls Trump's "hard-edged populism".
Several candidates are under discussion – but the problem is that none of them enjoys anything like Trump's profile or grass-roots support, while several have already featured unsuccessfully in previous Republican nomination or presidential campaigns.
Rick Perry
Suggested as a consensus candidate, the former Texas governor has already made two failed presidential runs. Announcing his decision to quit the current race last autumn, he said: "We can enforce our laws and our borders and we can love all who live within our borders without betraying our values" - an implied criticism of Trump's rhetoric against illegal immigration. Trump had earlier derided Perry by suggesting he wore glasses "so people will think he's smart".
Tom Coburn
The former Oklahoma senator, who quit the Senate in January 2015 to receive treatment for cancer, is on record as saying Trump "needs to be stopped" and has not ruled out the possibility of running against him. When asked about the prospects for an independent candidate, Coburn said "I'm going to support that person" - but then added: "I don't expect that person to be me." A fiscal and social conservative, Coburn is a friend of President Barack Obama.
Paul Ryan
The Republican representative for Wisconsin replaced John Boehner as speaker of the House of Representatives in October. Ryan stood as Mitt Romney's running-mate in the 2012 election bid but has rejected any attempt to make him the party's alternative candidate this time round. "It's not going to be me," he said. "It should be somebody running for president."
Trump presidency ranked among top ten risks facing world
17 March
Donald Trump winning the US presidential election poses an equal risk to global economy as Islamic terrorism, according to analysts at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Researchers warn that the Republican frontrunner could trigger a trade war with China and Mexico and heighten security risks by serving as a powerful recruitment tool for terrorists.
Trump continues to defy all expectations, leading in the polls and the delegate count, and looks likely to secure the Republican Party's nomination for president.
It is the first time analysts have included the possible election of a political candidate on its list of top ten risks, according to Politico.
Other threats include a new Cold War, armed conflict in the South China Sea and Britain voting to leave the European Union in the upcoming referendum.
Justifying the inclusion of the renegade businessman, analysts cited his "militaristic tendencies" towards the Middle East, his "exceptionally right-wing stance" and his proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the US.
Trump has also been "exceptionally hostile" towards free trade and has repeatedly labelled China as a "currency manipulator", they say.
Despite these predictions, analysts do not expect him to beat his most likely opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, in the November election. "[But] there are risks to this forecast, especially in the event of a terrorist attack on US soil or a sudden economic downturn."
If the businessman does make it to the White House, "it is worth noting that the innate hostility within the Republican hierarchy towards Mr Trump, combined with the inevitable virulent Democratic opposition, will see many of his more radical policies blocked in Congress", they add.
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